“Religious freedom is a vital aspect of Australian society and religious communities should feel respected and protected,” the committee’s report states, recommending legislation to remove discrimination exemptions not be passed and for the issue to undergo another inquiry.

“This is not some epidemic of gays being expelled. Rather than responding to a pressing social need, this bill, we view, has been proposed in support of a long-term political strategy advanced by a vocal minority.”

Advocates say that Scott Morrison’s school funding package, which will see Catholic schools receive $4.1 billion public money over the next decade, should be linked to the removal of discrimination exemptions.